Dear Rose Park,
My final project for my doctorate of ministry is due December 1. In some ways, December seems like a long way off. In other ways, it’s right around the corner. The long and the short of my project is this: how can pastors reclaim what it means to be a shepherd? One way pastors can do this is by embracing the sabbath.
As the pastoral shepherd of Rose Park, when I looked through my library of weekly letters, video devotions, and sermons, I noticed the lack of commentary I have offered on rest. Perhaps this is a clear indicator that I am not embracing sabbath on a regular basis or in a meaningful way. But when we talk about rest, we are not merely talking about taking an afternoon nap on Sunday with the Golf Channel on in the background just as an infant would fall asleep with a noise machine next to their crib (though an afternoon nap can certainly be a part of sabbath and the voices of Jim Nantz and Sir Nick Faldo are quite soothing).
So, when we talk about sabbath and rest, what are we talking about? To help us understand sabbath as a gift from God, we turn to one of my favorite professors from Western Theological Seminary, Dr. Carol Bechtel. Bechtel writes:
“One of the hardest things for us to get our minds around as Christians is that there can be too much of a good thing even where good works are concerned. No one will dispute that earning a living, preparing meals, taking kids to their sporting events, preaching sermons, or volunteering at the soup kitchen aren’t good—and important—things to do. Yet, even good things need limits. If our lives are so crammed full of good deeds that there is no room left for Sabbath, then something is seriously wrong. The choice is as stark as it was in Deuteronomy’s day: we can either accept the gift of Sabbath or submit to a very real kind of servitude.”
For Bechtel, to keep the sabbath means to rest in God and His gift of life. We would be served well to approach our rest and sabbath as a gift, straying away from legalistic issues and rigid rules. So, instead of adding another thing to the calendar just for busyness sake what if you started with baby steps. Perhaps for you that means simply putting down your phone for a designated time on a particular day of the week. For others, it might mean taking a walk by yourself and keeping silent for thirty or forty minutes. Still for others, it might mean lighting a candle and sharing a simple meal with family.
As you consider what keeping the sabbath means for you, consider as well these final words from Bechtel. “It may take a while for you to discover how to keep the Sabbath holy for you, so don’t get discouraged if some things work better than others. After all, you are “living your way into a new way of thinking.” But at the end of the day, you may discover that Sabbath is something you can’t imagine living without. It’s a gift, after all—an invitation you wouldn’t dream of refusing. It’s an old invitation for a new day that will draw you into deeper relationship with God, others, yourself, and all creation. “
Grace & Peace,
